Fluval12693 Plant and Shrimp Stratum for Freshwater Fish Tanks, 4.4 lbs. – Aquarium Substrate for Strong Plant Growth, Supports Neutral to Slightly Acidic pH

Yes, it is expensive but I think it's one of the highest quality substrates I have ever bought. I have had aquariums on and off for 30 yrs I have also built vivariums... this has to be the best substrate I have ever seen straight out of the bag. You can tell it is high quality volcanic soil which is outstanding for any plant life. It is very smooth and silky when you touch it. Just give a quick rinse and then use for whatever project. If you are building a planted tank, the water will be cloudy for longer than most people would like. I put my tank filter on high and let it run for the whole day like that and kept rinsing off the filter every few hours. On day two it is much more clear but a little cloudy as the biolayers need to still build up. Can't wait to see how much this improves my new plants.

So far it works well. I’ve only had this aquarium set up for a few weeks and the plants I have are doing well and starting to spread. I enjoy the black especially since I capped most of it with white rock. It’s a little expensive but in the research I’ve done is the best value for the quality you get.

Great aquarium substrate for planted tanks! All my plants are doing great! Not too expensive like other plant substrates so this is a good affordable option.

Very nice and clean with clarity after a bit of filtration. My plants love it and my Betta (Neptune), my little white fishie (Ghost) and my mystery snail (Meh) just been thriving with it. I’m playing on doing all 4 tanks with it. Much better than regular gravel and or sand.

This is absolutely amazing substrate for plants and shrimp. It makes things perfect for them and if you only want it for that, you’re golden!As long as you have the patience to rinse this stuff for hours. It is so dusty and dirty that the only way to make it not completely turn your water completely black is to rinse it for literal hours and then, even after all that, still treat the tank with water clarifier.It works, but be warned!

Had not used it before but many growers recommended it for my starts. I have had good response from my plants

You know when in movies you see sketchy people in an alley talking about buying the good stuff? Well this is it. It’s expensive but so worth it. I don’t even cap it with sand or anything because I love the way it looks. It does initially cause some muddiness in the water if you don’t wash thoroughly enough but if you just wait a few weeks it disappears entirely. Keeps my ph balanced and shrimp happy and smells no neutral.

I use this for my plants and alocasia corms and will always use it! The medium is durable, but will fall apart once it’s reached its limit, so watch for that and change out the medium when it happens or roots with rot. I love how pretty it is, too!